Picky Eater!!!!

Maureen - posted on 03/14/2010
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I have a 6 year old boy, he has got to be the pickiest eater in the whole world! He dislikes any kind of beef or pork...is allergic to fish....will not drink milk or water (he'll only drink Juicy Juice...once in a while apple juice)....he use to love chicken, but is not even getting tired of that. Won't eat mac-n-cheese, applesauce, or anything else most kids love. He likes spaghetti, soup, yougurt, and funny enough most vegetables(loves potatoes, broccoli, peas, corn, string beans), but I think its only a matter of time before those get old from having them all the time. I'm running out of options here. I've tried just letting it go & not forcing the issue, but it seems to be getting worse. I've tried offering rewards for trying new foods, and while he'll try them, he always says he doesn't like it & spits it out. He's 6, over 4 feet tall, & only 42 pounds. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!!!!

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Liane - posted on 03/14/2010

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I have a 7 yr old (almost 8) that is also extremely picky... our pediatrician says not to worry. She will eat when she is truly hungry. Keep offering foods that they have previously rejected as it can take several times before they actually decide they like it and want to eat it. We always require our daughter to try a bite of everything and if she doesn't like it, she can be excused. We don't cater to her likes/dislikes but I do try to include at least one dish that I know she like with each meal (of course one day she likes it and the next day maybe not). She does only eat dinner about 20% of the time as it's her least favorite. She will sometimes be difficult when required to eat her one bite of each thing but as long as we don't become lenient with this rule it is getting better.

As for not drinking water or milk (water especially), just stop offering juice. Juice (even juicy juice) offers no nutritional benefit to one's diet (it should be counted just a soft drink or soda). If your child is only drinking juice he could just be filling up on empty calories and therefore not hungry enough to try new foods when offered. Just a suggestion as I don't know how much juice he is consuming in any given day. If he is truly thirsty, his body will crave water and he'll drink it...

As long as your child is growing consistently (has a good growth curve on the drs charts) he should be fine even if he is picky. Good luck dealing with your picky eater!